14022024
by Campbell93
Summary: (not actually sure if it should be 2025...) Outtake/Flashback from An Offer You Can't Refuse. It will be referenced in later chapters, but isn't necessary to read. I just thought some fluff might be nice. Rose and Scorpius' first Valentines


**A/N: anon (Guest) asked for some Valentine's day romance and so here it is. I wrote this pretty quickly- when I probably should have been working- but this fits in with some things that will be in the story later, so it will be referenced! The prompt also came from a Pride and Prejudice valentine's card I saw here . /ae67cafff5932255b9b71d1c0468 aa54 /tumblr_mi7iyx7JPT1qi91llo1_ Anyway, Happy Valentine's everyone and I hope you like it.**

14/02/2024

It should have just been a normal Saturday, but it wasn't. There was no escaping it. There were pink hearts everywhere; girls giggling at being given roses; notes from secret admirers being passed round much to the recipients delight. And there was no escaping it. Rose thought she would have been used to it by now after seven years, but that was when the professors had the power to stop the nonsense during lesson times, so she really only had to avoid the main hall at meal times and she was set. Once or twice Emma or Pippa had been handed a card to pass onto her, but Rose had always ignored them. She would have paid attention to them if the sender had come up and spoken to her in person- even if it was the next day and admitted it was them. She couldn't stand people that hid behind anonymity in order to admit their feelings. That was probably what she hated the most about this day- not the commerciality of the whole thing. Simply that why was it accepted for this one day a year for people to admit their feelings or give roses and gifts? Why couldn't that be done any other day of the year? Why was today so special?

She needed something to do. She couldn't lie in bed all day- tempting as it was. Emma was out being romanced by the Ravenclaw seeker- Michael Edison, Pippa was visiting her parents (she was one to scorn the day due to its commerciality) and Al was out flirting at the Three Broomsticks, no doubt Scorpius was there too. Why was he there? Why wasn't he here? With her? She didn't want the flowers or the big gestures or the declarations of undying love. She just wanted him and his company- that was it. If they ended up with a couple of kisses by the end of the way then it would be an added bonus; but most of all, she just wanted him by her side to make her smile. She always had the best time when he was next to her.

"Urgh" Rose said, lifting her pillow and shoving it over her face. What the hell even was this day? What was she meant to do with Scorpius? They had been hooking up- for want of a better term- for about a month now, but neither of them had made any move to make it anything more than that; hell, they hadn't even told their friends that they were hooking up. As far as anyone else was concerned, they were as they had always been; friends and nothing more. She was starting to regret that secret though because now she couldn't ask Emma what she was supposed to do with this day…even if she was here.

Damn Scorpius. Damn him and his good looks and his jokes and his irresistible lips. Damn him for making sure I don't get out of bed today. Although, of course, as she thought that she got a reason for getting out of bed. Her owl was tapping incessantly at her window. Having previously written to her parents, she thought it was there reply but it was not. Once she let … into her dorm, she handed over a bright pink envelope that clearly contained a card. The colour made Rose's eyes hurt. She tossed it into her draw by her bedside without bothering to open it, gave … an owl treat and started to get dressed. Well she was up now; she may as well do something with the day. I mean, it is only 3:30 in the afternoon…kitchens it is then.

Turns out that Rose's plan for the day was to spend it hauled up in the library reading books that took her fancy when she spotted them on the shelves. The library was completely deserted except for her; even old Madame Pince was no-where to be seen. Taking full advantage of this, Rose got herself a hot chocolate, a blanket and made herself a pillow forte in one of the corners. Perfection.

* * *

Scorpius had been looking for Rose all day. Without success. He had waited by her dorm in the morning until Emma emerged and said that Rose was still asleep; so he continued to wait. Then Al found him and dragged him into Hogsmede where he proceeded to drink a lot of Butterbeer and try out his charm on some of the girls he liked. It worked and it was clear Scorpius' job as a wingman was complete. When he finally made it back to the castle and found a way to sneak into her dorm, she was no where to be found. He had asked the few remaining people around the castle if they had seen her, but no one had. This was hardly the Valentine's day that he had hoped for. Not that he knew what he wanted. Well, that was a lie. He wanted to spend it with Rose; laughing and joking like they normally did. If more happened, great. If not, he could live with that. He sighed and kicked a stone with his shoe, watching it bounce along the courtyard. What a waste of his day. He didn't even know why he was bothering trying to find her; he knew she hated today of all days, and to be honest, he agreed with her reasoning. But sometimes, you needed to hide behind the mask in order to tell people your secrets. It was like the suit of armour you needed for going into battle. Words were your secret weapon when you couldn't face the enemy yourself.

And suddenly, just like that, he knew where she would be.

* * *

"Mind if I join you?" Scorpius asked when he found her, wrapped up in a blanket in the deepest corner of the library. Rose peeked up at him, taking her eyes away from the words on the page. "This is really quite impressive" he said motioning to the fort. Rose smiled one of her heart stopping smiles and Scorpius grinned back making Rose's stomach do back flips. She pulled back a corner of the blanket as if to invite him in. He wasted no time in sitting down, comically wiggling around to make himself comfortable. Rose laughed and when he stopped she rested her head on his shoulder. And that was it. They were together.

"So, what are you reading?" Scorpius asked softly, putting an arm around Rose and allowing her to snuggle into him further. Rose said nothing, realising she was to tired to talk, but instead lifted up the book to show him the cover. "Tess of the D'Urbivilles, huh? Well aren't you in a romantic mood" he said sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Rose told him, finally finding the energy to talk. "It is romantic, actually"

"What? The bit where Angel leaves her because she had a child by another man-"

"She was raped, it wasn't her fault"

"That's ambiguous" Scorpius countered before continuing "- or the bit where she kills Alec so she can be with the man who left her before promptly being arrested for murder"

Rose glared at him for a few seconds.

"What a romantic you are" she said, her expression dead pan.

"I try" Rose laughed, her eyelids starting to feel heavy and her wand- which had been providing the light, began to slip. "You should get to sleep. Come on, I'll take you back to your dorm"

"No" Rose mumbled and grabbed hold of his t-shirt when he tried to move, pulling him closer to her. His fingers, almost instinctively, began to play with her hair.

"Well you can't sleep here" Scorpius told her

"Can too. Got pillows and everything" Rose could feel his chest vibrate as he laughed and sighed happily. Who cared if it hadn't been a great day; this was such a perfect way to end it. It was the perfect way to end any day. "Talk to me" she demanded sleepily. She loved the way he spoke. At night it was different- like they were sharing secrets.

"What about?"

"Anything. I just want to hear you talk. Tell me about your day" her eyelids were starting to fall and her breathing deepening.

"Well I spent most of it looking for you. I waited outside your dorm all morning until Al finally dragged me into Hogsmede. I get back and you're gone and I finally find you in here with three hours left of Valentines. And even then you're falling asleep! There goes any romantic plans I may have had. You know I was attempting to take you flying around the castle? I figured no one else would be out so we wouldn't be seen; not that it would matter. I've been thinking. Maybe we should tell people…about us…I mean I really like you, Rose. Would it be so bad if people knew we were a couple?" but his words remained a secret, for Rose was dead to the world. He knew she wouldn't remember this in the morning, but he had told her how he felt on this day and that was what mattered. And he hadn't hid behind a mask like she hated. He had been honest with her, one hundred percent. He'd done it once, it couldn't be so hard to do it again, right? Making sure she was fully awake next time? He sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around her and placed a kiss on the top of her head before finally allowing himself to drift off into a blissful night of sleep.

* * *

Rose woke feeling unnaturally warm but she found herself not wanting to move. Ever. It was the first time she and Scorpius had ever slept together. She could really get used to this. But was it what he wanted? Was this something he could get used to, or am I just here for convenience? That was a thought that had plagued her for the past month, yet she had made no move to stop it. It was enjoyable and not hurting anyone- sure, she may get burned in the future, but it would be worth it. She would look back on this time with Scorpius with no regrets and wish him well in his new relationship. She wouldn't have missed this for the world.

Deciding it was time for him to wake up; Rose nudged him softly with her elbow resulting in a low moan in protest. She loved it when he did that. When a few more attempts didn't work, she began a different technique. Quickly and fleetingly, she began to press her lips to every inch of his face until finally reaching his lips. This kiss was slow, lingering longer but softer until she felt him begin to respond by moving them and adding pressure.

"I could get used to this" he murmured. And those six words made Rose's heart soar.

* * *

It was a week later when Rose was reminded about the card that she got. Scorpius hadn't mentioned that night in the library, but they had continued their walks in the forest and their late night flying. But she still couldn't bring herself to risk telling someone else. She didn't want the risk of taking everything away just yet. Maybe she could see the use of the mask of anonymity after all. This secret of her feelings was boiling away inside her and she was certain she would explode sometime soon.

Thinking of this, she reached for the card in her drawer. Maybe she should at least read the words that someone took the time to write to her- anonymous or not; they deserved this courtesy.

Inside was a thick piece of card folded in half, but it wasn't a card. It was as though they had tried to make one themselves but given up after only the folding. When Rose read the words, she knew what she had to do. She leaped out of her bed, not caring about the fact that she was in her pyjamas, running as fast as she could through the school corridors. She had to find him. It would be worth the risk after all.

The card left open on her bed, but later she would slip it inside her favourite book where Jane Austen could feel proud that her words were put to good use.

_You are tolerable, I suppose_

_S_


End file.
